Second Chance at Love
by mysteria-wilson
Summary: After breaking up with Rosalie, Emmett returns to Forks wanting to pursue a relationship with Bella. Unfortunately she's currently dating her childhood best friend, Jacob. Even though things between them are getting serious, Bella can't help but to feel attracted to Emmett as well. Can he convince her to take a chance on him or will she choose to stay with Jacob? All Human
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I only own the plot and the original characters. Everything else belongs to Ms. Meyers _

**Prologue**

_ "I think it'll be best if we just take a break for a while." I told Edward the night before I was to leave for college. Since graduation I had been reevaluating my life and realized that Edward and I wanted completely different things. He wanted to get married right away and I wanted to do some living._

_ "Well by break do you mean just for a little while or…" He asked._

_ "I just think it would be better if we broke it off here. Go off into the world with a clean break. We're not the same people we were before Edward."_

_ Edward tried his hardest to get me to change my mind but I knew this was the right thing to do. College was supposed to be the next big chapter in your life, a fresh start. I couldn't exactly have a fresh start if I was still tied down to my high school boyfriend._

_ So I spent my summer getting ready for school. Even though I was going to school only a couple hours away, I opted for staying on campus to better put the past behind me. And it was for the best. After spending a couple of weeks on campus, I ran into Angela Weber, my old high school classmate._

_ We spent our entire freshman year hanging out before eventually rooming together our sophomore and junior year. Senior year we moved off campus into student housing before completing our internships. Angela continued her passion of photography while I pursued a career in interior design. Graduation day was a melancholy one as Angela and I weren't going to be living together but I was offered a full time position with House Dressing, LLC; a small up and coming interior design firm I interned with earlier in the year._

_ The next day, Charlie helped me settle into a townhouse a few blocks away from the firm and close to the police station. "I just want to make sure you're safe Bells and if that means having you live near the police station then so be it. It's not like you're willing to move back home."_

_ "I know Dad. It's just that I like being on my own. I use to be so dependent on others and now that I've finally broken myself out of that, I want to keep it that way. But I promise I'll be back for the holidays." I assured him once again that I was going to be fine living alone in the big city._

It was so hard to believe that a year had passed since I graduated from college. I hadn't climbed up the corporate ladder within the company but I was making some progress. I was being brought in on several different renovation projects and now I was working with a project manager to redesign some place in my home town.

"Isabella, the client wants to meet us today at the work site to go over the changes he would like made. Be at this address at 2 pm." Bryan Miller, the project manager told me.

I nodded and looked it over before looking back at Bryan. He was only a couple years older than me but didn't look it at all. He had short black hair, hazel eyes, caramel colored skin and a slim figure. He always dressed slightly casual, opting for a dress shirt, vest and tie with jeans and plain dress shoes.

When it was about a quarter pass, I packed up my bag, making sure to grab my copy of the client's file, a tape measure and my sketch book. I hadn't had a chance to look over the file yet but from what Bryan told me about the client, they didn't seem to be too picky.

I clocked out for the day and grabbed a field work time card before walking out the back door to my car. After my freshman year, I finally broke down and retired my truck. Charlie chipped in and helped me get a used green 04 Kia Sportage from a police auction.

As I neared the address, I was surprised that the place was located near the logging mill. I knew there weren't any houses in the area so I checked the address again to make sure I was in the right area.

"This is it." I told myself looking around at the building. The framework seemed to all be in tact but I had no idea how the interior looked. The only thing I could I find out about the property was it had been vacant for several years due to the logging company moving further north.

"Hey did you have any trouble finding the place?" Bryan called out to me, deterring me out of my thoughts.

"No. I use to live near here so I'm pretty familiar with the area." I told him.

"Well the client is already inside. I've already met with him but he specifically didn't want to get started until you got here." He flashed a smile.

I let out a heavy sigh. Outside of Charlie and Jake, the only other person who knew I was working for an interior designer firm was Edward. I gulped down some air before following Bryan into the building. The first floor had exposed brick walls and a staircase off to the left side of the building. The entire interior was beige in color except the dark hardwood floors. I pulled out my sketch book and started jotting down some notes and take some measurements while Bryan walked through the downstairs, pointing out some problem areas.

"So is your associate here Mr. Miller?" I heard a deep voice call out. I looked up and I liked to have melted into a puddle. For there on the steps was a face I thought I would never see again. There on the steps, the one who requested for me by name was Emmett McCarty.


	2. Chapter 1 - Old Friends

Chapter One – Old Friends

"_People always leave… but sometimes they come back" – Peyton Sawyer, One Tree Hill_

"Hey Bells." Emmett greeted me as he walked down the stairs towards us. When he reached the floor, he pulled me in for one of his bear hugs.

"I uh I take it you two know each other." Bryan pointed out joining us two in the foyer.

"Yeah. Bells and I here went to high school together. Although she really didn't give me the time of the day back then. She only had eyes for my younger brother but he didn't deserve someone as awesome as her. He kept trying to make her into something she wasn't, although I see she has changed since then." He looked me over in a way that made me feel bashful.

I was wearing a dark blue belted shirt and slim fitting jeans. I switched out of my high heels for my flats and pulled my hair up so it wasn't lying on my shoulders.

"Yes, well I haven't had a chance to look over what you wanted but since Bryan is the project manager, he'll be spearheading the renovation." I told him.

His face fell a bit. "Oh ok. Well word around town was your firm was the best and when I found out you were working there Bells, I just assumed you would be the one doing everything."

"Well don't worry, Isabella will be by my side the entire renovation and will personally handle all the procurements of the furniture, paints and other things."

Emmett nodded and started walking Bryan through the areas, talking about what he wanted the loft to look like. He had only recently purchased the loft so he was living here yet but was hoping to move in before the start of autumn.

"We can have everything done by then. I mean luckily for us most of the work has been done. And as far as taking out one wall to make way for a garage door, I know the perfect company. And we can even have them insert a double pane window to cancel out the noise and block out some of the cold weather and the heat." Bryan explained as I jotted down the notes.

"I can come by next week and we can go over some ideas for furniture and go through the look books we have at the office to design your place." I supplied.

"Well it's not going to need that much since it'll just be me here. This is gonna be my new bachelor pad."

I raised my eyebrow at this and looked to him for a further explanation but he shook his head and mouthed "Later". I nodded and finished up the measurements of the wall we were having taken out.

A few minutes later, Bryan handed Emmett the contracts and a few other papers while I packed up to leave. "Well, Mr. Cullen, thank you for meeting us and we'll be in touch with your estimate. If we need to set up a payment plan then just let us know. Isabella, if you don't mind staying behind and dropping off the paperwork at the office on your way home." Bryan nodded. I knew on Fridays he left early since he always spent the weekends visiting his parents in Tacoma.

I nodded and walked over towards the kitchen counter where Emmett was reading over the contracts.

"So this is gonna be your bachelor pad, huh? I thought when I saw you here that you would've been here with Rosalie."

Emmett faltered over the paperwork he was signing before clearing his throat to speak. "Yeah, no. Me and Rose aren't together…we broke up. Hence why I'm back in town. Alone."

"Oh. I didn't know. The last time I talked with Edward was a couple of years ago. He didn't mention that you guys were having problems."

"Yeah we've kinda been keeping it quiet but I couldn't handle it anymore. But the breaking point was her cheating on me."

"What! Wow, Emmett I'm so sorry." I pulled him in for a hug.

"Yeah you're the only one who really knows. Everyone else thinks that we're just taking a break, like you and Edward."

I pulled away and questioned him. I thought I made it pretty clear that we were over all those years ago on my doorstep. But apparently that wasn't what he was telling everyone else. Let Edward tell it, we were on a hiatus of sorts but would eventually find our way back to one another.

I remained quiet while he finished up the papers. Once he did, he asked if he could take me out to dinner tonight to "catch up on old times" as he put it.

After thinking about it for a few minutes, I decided it would be nice to hang out with an old friend. "Sure. You can meet at this address at 10:30". I wrote out the address and some simple directions on a piece of paper and slid it over.

"Isn't 10:30 a little late to have dinner?" He asked.

I collected the paperwork and packed it all up before answering him. "Yeah I guess it is." I winked before walking out into the sunshine.

_*Emmett*_

At 9:30, I started getting ready. After leaving the loft, I headed back to the hotel I was staying at in the interim. When I told Carlisle and Esme I was moving back, they offered me the old house. I didn't think that was such a good idea, as there were too many memories there. I lucked up in finding the loft and was happy to learn that it wouldn't take too long for the renovations to be completed.

But the most pleasant surprise was the way Bella looked now. I figured after all these years she would be the same, but when she walked in, my jaw dropped. Her hair was still the same but the rest of her was different. She dressed like a woman and carried herself as such. If I wasn't careful I would find myself wanting her in the best/worst way.

After I showered, I looked online the name of the address she sent me. It was a small bar located in Port Angeles called "After Hours." I couldn't find much information about it but it seemed to be a pretty nice low key bar about 45 minutes away from here.

I quickly got dressed and headed out making sure I programed the address in my GPS before pulling out of the hotel parking lot.

The drive to After Hours was a quiet one. It felt weird being back. The last time I was here, it seemed all my time was consumed with being Rose's strong but silent boyfriend.

When I pulled up in front of the address, I looked to see a pretty packed parking lot. I couldn't imagine that many people were in such a small out of the way bar but I would soon discover just how popular After Hours could be.

As soon as I walked in, the first thing that caught my eye were the walls. They were chalkboard filled with graffiti, random hand drawn photos and quotes. The next thing I saw was the chairs. There didn't seem to be a matching set anywhere. There were ottomans, chaises, bean bags, rockers, wicker and a few booths. I walked through pass the small alcoves and the circular bar that took up a couple of feet of floor space.

"Emmy! Hey over here!" I heard someone shouting. I turned and saw Bella standing on a table, waving me over. She was sitting in one of the alcoves that resembled a booth from a 50's diner.

"Bells? Hey I thought you wanted to get some dinner? Why did you suggest this place?" I asked, engulfed her in a hug.

"Because this place has the best food for practically nothing." She smiled. I was beginning to love that smile. I didn't get to see it that often when I was here the last time but when it did come out it was like I had found a special treasure.

After we ordered her dinner, she shocked me by ordering a couple shots of tequila and something called the house special.

"Since when do you drink Belly?" I asked a bit shocked.

She threw her head back and laughed. I didn't understand the joke but I laughed right along with her.

"I guess there are a lot of things you don't know about Me." she winked.

"Yeah so tell me about you. I want to know all about this new life that you've built for yourself." I asked.

"Well Charlie is still the police chief and Renee is enjoying being a Floridian with Phil. And for the first time in my life, I've actually been enjoying mine."

As soon as the food and the shots arrived, she tossed back two before passing the rest to me. "So tell me about you. Outside of everything with Rosalie, how is everything else?"

I shrugged and explained the situation that I left behind. "Well Alice and Jasper are as in love as they were before. Carlisle and Esme were sad to see me leave but understood why I felt the need to do so. And as far as Edward, well, he left before Rose and I called it quits. The last I heard, he was living on the east coast somewhere.

After I told her about Edward, I looked at her to gauge her reaction. It didn't seem to really affect her. I was pleasantly surprised that she didn't appear to be broken up or upset over the absence of Edward in her life.

We finished off our food just as the house special arrived. Apparently the house special was 10 mini cupcakes infused with alcohol. As the waiter explained what popular drink the cupcakes represented, I looked over at Bella once more. It was just such a shock to think that this was the same chick Edward left behind.

"Are you ready?" She called to me before shoving a cupcake in my hand.

"Yeah. What is this?"

"I can't remember but if you feel like you can't handle it…" She teased me.

I told her I could handle anything. She smiled again and asked me to make a toast.

We toasted to our new lives and whatever the future held for us. I ate about 4 cupcakes before I began to feel the effects of the alcohol. I passed the plate to Bells, surprised that she finished the rest of them rather quickly.

"Come on, we're going to dance." She announced, pulling me out of the booth with some difficulty and leading me to the loft above the bar I missed when I came in.

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay up here?" I asked as we walked through the fire escape door to the rooftop where all the dancing seemed to take place.

"Yeah I'm not the uncoordinated bundles of nerves that you remember." She winked before moving to the music. She moved so easily, letting it flow around her and guide her hips.

She pulled me into the mass and sways in front of me, dancing on me, just letting go and allowing herself to just be. It was the new and improved Bella and I was loving it.

At 1:45, 15 minutes before last call Bella and I decided to call it a night. When we got to the parking lot, I asked her where her car was. She pointed it out and after stumbling a little bit she made it there safely.

"Emmy, I think I may have overdone it just a bit tonight." She giggled, pinching two of her fingers together to emphasis her point. Even though I drove here, I knew Bella was in no condition to drive home. I figured I could drive her back and make sure she got home safely and come back to pick up my Jeep in the morning.

After making several attempts to get a coherent answer out of her, I just looked through her GPS and followed the route to her apartment. When we arrived, Bella had seemed to sober up enough to point out her correct door and fished her keys out of her purse before tripping over the door jam and almost face planting in her foyer.

"What was that you said before about not being an uncoordinated bundles of nerves?" I chuckled, guiding her to the couch.

"Sorry Emmy. I don't usually get this drunk. I blame it on the cupcakes." She giggled once more.

I nodded and grabbed her some water from the kitchen. She guzzled it down, seeming to become a bit sober.

"Are you feeling better now?"

She nodded and pushed off the couch. "Yeah, thanks for not letting me drive. I doubt I would've been able to make it here in one piece." She called out over her shoulder before heading up the stairs.

I turned on the light and looked around. Her place was decorated pretty nicely. Her couch and loveseat were both a light grey color and pushed against the wall leaving the floor open for her black coffee table and end tables.

Hanging on the wall across from her sofa was her television, with her DVD player on a small entertainment center underneath. Then a bit away from her sofa was a simple desk which housed a nice touch screen desktop computer.

All over her walls were different awards she won and photos of her and Charlie; her, Renee and Phil; and several of her with a dark haired muscular guy.

"What do you have there?" She asked, announcing her presence.

"Who's this guy?"

She joined me by my side and looked at the photo I was holding. She and the dark haired guy were hugging each other on a beach somewhere, Bella in a bikini and the guy in swim trunks.

"Oh, that's Jacob Black, my boyfriend. We took these during spring break my junior year."

"You didn't tell me you were dating someone." I mumbled a bit dejectedly.

"Sorry. We've been dating since my sophomore year. But we've been friends since the sand box days." She smiled fondly looking at the picture.

We stood there in awkward silence for a bit before I decided it was time for me to leave. "Well it was nice to see you. I'll call you on Monday to set up a time for you to come by the office and decide on your layout so I can begin the orders."

I was sure she could hear the disappointment in my voice. She placed the photo back on the end table and walked me to the door. I opened the door before changing my mind pulled her in for a hug.

"I'm happy to see that you're doing all right Bells. I have to admit, I thought about you all the time while I was gone. But I wasn't expecting to find this person in front of me" I told her, looking into her eyes.

They were such a beautiful shade of brown. I was getting more intoxicated, just looking at them. Then before I knew what I was doing, I leaned down and kissed her lips. Her skin felt a little hot but her lips tasted of toothpaste, sugar and rum.

"God Bella," I heard myself moan into her mouth. Her kisses were causing me to get a bit riled up. I knew that she had a boyfriend but I knew that I would regret it tomorrow if I didn't kiss her right then.

Bella broke off the kiss, a shocked look on her face.

"I'm not sorry Bells. I would love to say that I did that because I was still feeling a little bit buzzed or that I wasn't thinking but that would be a lie."

"It's fine. It'll be our little secret." She said before pushing me out the door.

**AN: Should Bella keep the kiss a secret? Or should she tell Jake? Is Bella Emmett's reason for moving back? Lots of questions, I know.**


	3. Chapter 2 - Keeping It Professional

Chapter Two – Keeping It Professional

"_A man's work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened" – Albert Camus_

The next morning, despite having a pounding headache and possibly the worst hangover ever, I dragged myself out of bed and into the shower. Angela and I always spent our Saturday mornings working out at the gym before having our weekly lunch date to talk about what had happened in our life during the past week.

After eating an apple and gulping down some water, I grabbed my jacket and walked the two blocks to my gym, not surprised that Angela was there waiting on me.

"So what did you get into last night?" She started when we got on the treadmills.

Just as I was preparing to answer her, the kiss I shared with Emmett came flooding back to the front of my mind. I had really hoped that I just dreamt it.

"I think I made a huge mistake last night, Ang."

"What do you mean?"

As I explained to her how I had only intended to take Emmett out for dinner to catch up and discuss his loft plans and the evening ended in him kissing me, she listened, not judging as always.

"So are you going to tell Jacob?"

I sighed and slowed down my pace. "I feel like I should but at the same time the kiss didn't mean anything. And he did kiss me."

"You never were a good liar. Not only that, but your face is as red as a tomato. So obviously the kiss meant more than you're letting on."

"Can we discuss this over lunch?" I asked.

Angela nodded and focused on her work out. I was glad that she wasn't one for much gossip.

So 45 minutes later, Angela and I found ourselves at Panera Bread, like every other Saturday. After placing our usual order, Angela started grilling me again.

"Ok, so who kissed who?" she asked, taking a bit of her tuna sandwich.

"He kissed me. We were standing on the porch saying goodnight and he was looking at me for a bit before he just kissed me. It came out of nowhere."

Angela shrugged her shoulders. "Well it all sounds pretty innocent to me. I mean he kissed you. You were a bit buzzed so you can argue that you weren't exactly in control of your actions. The only thing that would be a serious issue is if you liked It." she laughed.

I chuckled weakly. "Yeah, about that…" I looked up at her. She slowly stopped laughing and a concerned looked replaced her smile.

"Bella, don't tell me that you liked it. Did you forget that you have a boyfriend who is absolutely crazy head over heels in love with you? Not to mention, he's a client of your firm. Isn't it a bit unprofessional to date a client? Can't you lose your job?"

As I listened to Angela's rant, I realized that she thought I was considering throwing it all away for Emmett. Yes we did share a kiss and yes I loved it but my career and what I had with Jacob held more importance than a mere drunken encounter.

"Angela, this was simply a one-time thing. The next time I see Emmett, I will tell him that he is a client and that I am his interior designer. That is it."

"So did you two spend the evening drinking at your place that it led to the kiss?"

I shook my head no. "He uh, he contacted the firm about fixing up this loft space he acquired and I'm the assistant project manager on the job. So I told him to meet me at After Hours. "

"And you take all of your clients out to After Hours?" she grinned.

"He offered to take me out to dinner but that just felt so intimate and date like. After Hours is pretty friendly place and I figured I wouldn't get into trouble although we now know that I did." I blushed just as my phone rang.

I quickly pulled it out to see I had a text message from Jacob.

_ Hey Baby. Staying in town to help my dad with some work around the house so I won't be able to see you until next weekend. Try not to miss me too much. Love you._

I smiled sadly before showing Angela the text.

"Yeah, sweetest boyfriend ever." She said, making me feel worse about my situation.

Once we finished our lunch, I promised Angela I would call her after I figured how to tell Jacob about the Emmett situation. Just as I was a block and a half away, the rain the weatherman promised started coming down. By the time I reached my apartment, I was soaked to the bone. And Emmett was waiting for me on the doorstep.

"You should have called me Bells. I would've picked you up. You shouldn't be walking in the rain." He smiled, getting up and offering me his jacket.

"I'm fine. I was only up the street at the gym." I unlocked my door and headed straight upstairs to the bathroom. I stripped off my wet clothes and stepped into the shower to warm up. I could hear Emmett shuffling around outside the door.

"So you said you were at the gym?" He shouted.

"Yeah I go every Saturday with my friend Angela. We do an hour work out before having lunch."

I waited for him to say something else but he didn't. I turned off the water and grabbed my towel, drying off completely before slipping into my robe and heading into my room. I closed my door and I shuffled around looking for my Saturday wear, grey yoga pants and an oversized hoodie.

Once I was finished, I opened the door to Emmett standing right in the doorway. I chuckled a bit uncomfortably before sliding past him and walking downstairs. I headed into the kitchen and prepared a pot of coffee. As I was getting a mug out of the cabinet, I felt Emmett come up behind me. He kissed me on the side of my neck before whispering, "I want this. Whatever this is, I want it. I want you Bells."

"Emmett, we can't. I'm in a relationship and you're a client of mine. This can't progress past anything outside the realm of professional."

He took a step back, disappointment written all over his face.

"It's just that if we were to get involved while you were a client of the firm I could lose my job as well as any credibility I have." I explained, fixing my coffee.

Emmett nodded his understanding but I could tell he was still a bit upset.

"So how long do you think this is going to take? The whole design project?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.

I shrugged my shoulder and walked out to the living room. "Well it all depends on exactly what you want. I mean I don't have the look books but I can give you a general idea of how it will look based on the photos and the measurements we got the other day."

I booted up my computer and began running the program I used at the office when showing the client the 3-D design of their property. It was best for the before and after shots once we discussed what the client wanted the new property to look like.

"So this is what it looks like now. But once we have this wall knocked out and refitted with a garage door, you'll be able to park in the alley way right here and then we can insert an glass shower here so it's a split level but the entire layout can be open and sort of modern." I explained as I entered in the measurements and designed the way the loft looked now and how I could change it into a decent bachelor pad.

"It looks like a small scaled down version of the old house." He stated after some time.

"Yeah, I figured it would be nice to have some of the memories from there carried over into your new place since that's where you were the happiest last."

He nodded. "I wasn't happy until you came stumbling your way into our lives."

_*Emmett*_

After Bella showed me the new design for the house, I persuaded her to sit down with me and hammer out the exact details of what I wanted my place to look like.

"Well in my opinion the simpler it is the better. I know you never saw my room at the old house but it consisted of a bed, a desk and a lamp. Then as the years went on, Rose, she made it more and more elaborate."

Bella didn't say anything, just jotted down some notes before inputting it all into the computer.

"Ok well how about this?" She asked heading back to her computer. She clicked a couple of keys and added little icons to symbolize furniture. She really was talented at her job; I couldn't understand why she wasn't a project manager yet.

After giving her a few pointers and asking about a million questions about terms I didn't understand like "newel posts" and "gallery railings" we figured out exactly how my new place was going to look.

"So now that we have everything done and pretty much planned out, how long do you think this will take?"

"That will depend on how fast the wall can be taken down. I will have to talk it over with the contractor to make sure that it can be done. And the floor has to be sanded and buffed and that usually takes about a month and a half with a space as big as yours."

Hearing her ramble on about how long it could take to finish it all was a bit disheartening. I know we wanted things to progress at a decent pace but I also didn't want to wait until the middle of October before I could move into my new bachelor pad.

"But you did say that you wanted to have it all done by the start of autumn so I will just have everyone made aware of the deadline and I will try to make sure we stick to it. Of course there is always the off chance that it may take a week or two longer but I will try to have it all done by the first week of September."

"Anything you can do to speed up the process, please do."

She made a few more notes before printing it all out and emailing herself a copy of everything we worked on.

"So what now?" I asked.

"Now I give this to Bryan and he takes care of the basic planning then I come in and help you decide on the furniture and paint. Then when it's all said and done, we go on with our lives, you in your bachelor pad and me with Jacob."

**AN: So Bella seemed determined to get past the kiss and keep things between Emmett and herself as professional as possible. But Emmett clearly wants more. Does he have something up his sleeve?**


	4. Chapter 3 - Love and Misunderstandings

Chapter Three – Love and Misunderstandings

"_Love involves a peculiar unfathomable combination of understanding and misunderstanding" – Diana Arbus_

Later that night I found myself unable to sleep or clear my mind of Bella. I wanted so badly to have more than just a professional relationship with her. But even that would only last until she was done renovating my loft.

Deciding that sleep wasn't on my agenda tonight, I walked out onto the balcony to phone Alice.

When she answered, it was clear I had disturbed her rest.

"This better be important." She grumbled.

"I contacted Bella's firm and she has agreed to do the renovations."

I heard some shuffling around before her voice came through clear. I guessed she left the bedroom and headed into another as not to disturb Jasper.

"What happened?"

"I feel like she's sending me mixed signals. After I met with her, she invites me to a bar at 10:30 at night. She gets a decent buzz going and dances all over me, and then when I go to tell her good night, I give her a hug and kiss."

"Well that doesn't sound so bad-"

"She has a boyfriend, Alice. And she waited until we had kissed before telling me about it. Some kid named Jacob something."

"I see your problem. So have you asked her about it?"

"I didn't come right out and ask her why she waited but when I saw her earlier today she told me she wanted to keep things between us on a strictly professional level. She claims that things between her and him are going great but if they are so great then why did she wait so long to tell me she had moved on."

"I don't know. Maybe she didn't think you would be able to handle it. You can be pretty intimidating, Em. But at least you told her how you felt. Even if it did take you over seven years to do it."

"Yeah I know I took my sweet time but a good portion of that wasn't my fault. At first it was because I was with Rose and she was with Edward. Then I graduated and left for school and she was still here in Forks."

"But that never stopped you from pining away over her. I still remember how you reacted when Edward brought her home for the first time."

_~Flashback~_

_ "So your brother is bringing home his girlfriend and I want you both to be on your best behavior." My mom instructed us as she fixed the table. _

_ "I just don't understand why we are going through all these hoops because Eddie is bringing home some chick. When I brought Rose home, you guys just sat around and watched a movie. But because it's Eddie, we have to have a fancy dinner?" I groaned. I hated that my mom pacified him all the time since he was the last kid they adopted._

_ "Emmett there is no need for you to be this nasty. Your brother asked me if I would prepare a dinner since he is very serious about this girl. All you did was come home from spending time with Rosalie and sprung it on us at the last minute. If you would like, we can have a dinner party and you can bring Rosalie and your sister can bring Jasper."_

_ I threw my hands in the air and headed into the family room. I plopped down on my gaming chair and slid my headset on, disappearing into the world of Modern Warfare 3. I stayed there until I heard the doorbell ringing a short time later and my mother calling me to the foyer._

_ "Welcome Isabella. It's so nice to meet you."_

_ "Oh please call me Bella. It's nice to meet you as well Mrs. Cullen. Edward has told me so much about you." I heard a beautiful voice say._

_ I stepped fully into the foyer and saw a beautiful dark haired beauty with an infectious smile. She was wearing a simple polo shirt, jeans and a beat up pair of converse, completely clashing with Edward who was wearing a cable knit sweater and slacks._

_ "…And this is my oldest, Emmett McCarty." Esme gestured to me._

_ She flashed me a smile and stuck out her hand. I shook it, smiling like an idiot at her and garnishing a weird glance from Edward._

_ The rest of the evening was spent not with the family getting to know Bella but her and me conversing like old friends. I discovered that she liked to play video games, loved slasher films and wasn't a salad eater. _

_ After dinner, Bella and I headed outside and chatted more about our likes and dislikes. And when she left that evening, I knew that she and I were going to be friends forever._

_~End Flashback~_

"Yeah I did a pretty good job of pissing him off. But everyone could tell that she wasn't the right girl for him. Edward had always been attracted to the more high standard chicks. He was the one who introduce Rose and me."

"You've always had a special connection with her, one that Edward was always jealous of. Not to be mean but you have caused more than your fair share of rifts in their relationship because of that connection." Alice chuckled fondly, remembering how many times Edward and I got into arguments over her.

"Yeah. I remember he stormed out of the graduation celebration Esme threw for us because of her toast."

"It was that night that I realized that I loved her. I sat up with Carlisle in his study and talked to him about love and how I was feeling. I didn't want to say something to Bella because I knew that she was still so in love with Edward. But Alley, if she would have told me that she wanted to break up, I would have jumped for joy and asked her right then to give me a chance.

"And I know that that makes me sound really selfish and almost harsh that I would be so willing to stab my brother in the back by asking out his girlfriend of a year but I don't care. With Rosalie and me, it was simply like. But that was it; after it the luster wore off, we were just stuck with each other because it seemed to be the most natural thing to do." I explained, revealing the depths of my heart.

"Then you have to fight for her, Emmy. If you still feel as strongly as you do now as you did then, then your path is clear."

I chatted a bit more with Alice about how I should approach the situation and for advice on how to accomplish my next step.

"She wants to keep it professional so you do just that. But don't allow her to hide behind the project manager. Go in there and tell them that you will only work with her. And then on all those trips to the hardware stores and during those late night meetings, show her the side of you that you just revealed to me."

I spent my Sunday morning going over everything that Bella and I had discussed yesterday. The plan looked simple and doable within the time line I had set. Then of course once the project was over, I wouldn't have a reason to spend all my time with her.

But since we had yet to meet with anyone and nothing was officially set in stone, I could make all the necessary changes I needed to prolong the renovations.

I opened up my computer and looked up ideas of newly renovated lofts to get some ideas on how to decorate and all the problems that could slow down the process. A lot of the issues I discovered were problems with the foundation or hidden mole spores in the wall. Unfortunately before I even signed the deed I had someone come in and check for any potential unforeseen problems and despite a few loose bricks here and there, the old lumber mill had aged pretty well.

Since I wasn't willing to purposely sabotage the loft, I decided to go the route of the indecisive client.

_*Bella*_

Sunday morning arrived, bringing with it gloomy skies to match my mood. I tossed and turned all night, debating whether or not to tell Jacob about the kiss between Emmett and me. I kept telling myself that it was just one kiss and that it didn't mean anything.

"Who are you trying to fool? It did mean something." I said to no one.

I always felt a strong connection to Emmett since the first time I met him. But during the months leading up to his graduation that bond became something more. Emmett was having a hard time in a few of his classes and was on track to be held back another year.

We spent countless nights video chatting and studying in the library going over every subject that he was on the verge of failing. When he found out that he had passed all of his finals with a B+ or better, he scooped me up and spun me around right in front of his entire family.

Since I was the reason he graduated, Emmett asked me to make a speech at his graduation celebration. At first I was a bit reluctant but he finally convinced me to do it.

_Emmett McCarty is an amazing person. When faced with a predicament, he doesn't run away. He faces it head on and gives it his all. He has a kind spirit and shares all of himself with everyone he meets. He's the type of guy who will not only buy tickets for his friends to classic slasher movie marathons, but will also pay for all snacks and dinner. Emmett will come visit you when you're having a bad day and do everything in his power to cheer you up. He will drive you home from the dentist and not make fun of you for screaming the lyrics to Cheap Trick's "I want you to want me" at every passing car while you're dosed up on morphine._

___Emmett's my best friend and __the greatest guy I know ____. He's my favorite hello and my hardest goodbye. And a_lthough I am proud of him, I'm sad to see him go. I want you here but you are going there and there just doesn't know just how good they are going to have it.

I stayed in bed for a bit longer before finally deciding to get out of bed. I folded up some clothes I washed earlier in the week and put them away. Then I organized my closet and my sock drawer before cleaning my bathroom and scrubbing the grout in between the tiles.

By the time I got to my kitchen and washed every single dish, I realized I was just keeping busy in order to avoid dealing with the issue warring in my mind. I figured if I was willing to work this hard to keep from dealing with then I needed to tell Jake.

These thoughts stayed with the entire time I prepared to go to La Push and confront Jake. I walked back upstairs to my closet and pulled down a pair of dark blue boyfriend jeans and a black cami. I plopped down onto the bed changing out of my pajamas and into the clothes I picked out along with a thick white long sleeve shirt and black striped socks.

I grabbed my boots and sent Jake a text, letting him know we needed to talk to him and was on my way to his dad's place.

I headed back downstairs grabbing my purse and keys along the way. I checked the windows and made sure the stove was turned off before walking to the front door.

What felt like an eternity later, I was pulling into Jake's driveway. He was up on the roof, replacing the tarp and tiles before the rainy season came.

He slowly climbed down the ladder and came over to embrace me.

"Is everything okay baby? You're text kinda scared me."

I backed away from him and fumbled with my keys, unable to look him in the eye. I sucked down some air and mumbled, "I kissed someone else."

Jake came a bit closer and rubbed my shoulder. "Bells, you know you can tell me anything. What is it?"

"I kissed someone. He's an old friend who's back in town and he hired me to do some work on his loft and we were both a bit buzzed but it was just a kiss. It didn't go past that."

He took a step back and looked at the ground for a bit before running his hand from his hair to the back of his neck before looking skyward.

"Can you tell me that it didn't mean anything?" he asked, looking right in my face.

When I didn't answer him, he threw his fist into the air before throwing the crow bar he used to pry up the old roof tiles in the direction of the garage.

"God Bells, how …I don't even…why…why did you tell me? What would make you think that this is something that I should know? You had to know this was how I was going to react."

"I thought I was doing the right thing. It was eating away at me and I thought coming here and telling you this was the right thing to do. I wanted to be honest with you."

"Yeah well this is one of those times that I would have appreciated the lie." He stated stoically, walking back towards the house.

I ran after him and grabbed his hand, trying to get him to talk to me.

"What do you want me to say, Bella? It's okay that you're going around kissing other guys? That it doesn't bother me."

"IT WASN'T A BUNCH OF GUYS!" I bellowed.

He scoffed and kept walking so I ran in front of him and met him step for step so he couldn't avoid me.

"It was just one guy and I am sorry that it happened. But at least I am telling you about it rather than trying to sweep it under the rug and pretend that it didn't happen at all."

"Maybe that's exactly what you should have done."

I stopped trying to block his path and I took a step back.

"What are you saying Jacob?"

"I don't know and right now I don't know about us anymore. I just need some time away from you."

"Jake…"

He didn't say anything else, just walked over towards the garage and picked up the crowbar before climbing back up the ladder and settling on the roof. I left before I made a bigger fool of myself and drove in the direction of my old home.

As I pulled up, I smiled at the sight of my dad and his girlfriend, Sue Clearwater doing some yard work.

"Hey Bells, I didn't you would be coming over today." My dad waved, climbing off his lawn mower.

"I was up at the rez visiting Jake so I figured I would stop by on my way. I thought you would have been at work."

"Eh, things at the station have been a bit slow so I left one of the deputies in charge. Besides, Sue has been begging me to take a day off so we can clean up the yard before autumn sets in. Last year I waited too long and had dead grass and weeds all around the house once spring came in."

"Well I just think this place shouldn't look like some lone bachelor lives here." Sue smiled, kissing him on the cheek.

"How are you Bella?" Sue asked, pulling me in for a hug.

"I'm good. I just have a lot on my mind. Jake and I are having some problems."

"He's still treating you with respect isn't he?" my dad looked down at me.

I smirked and nodded my head. "It's just…I was honest with him about something and rather than him being happy about my decision to not keep things from him, he blew up at me and decided that we needed a break."

"Well what did you do that was so bad Bells?"

I fumbled with my keys and told my dad that I rather not say. "It was something small and that shouldn't have happened but I thought I was doing the right thing by telling him. Was I wrong?"

My dad wiped some sweat from his brow and sighed. "That's a tough one Bells. I mean it's good that you were honest. Shows your mom and I raised you right. But then you have to take in consideration that not everyone wants to know about the little things or even the big things. Maybe Jake is just one of those people who prefer to not know. But give him some time; I'm sure he'll come around."

I spent a few more minutes chatting with my dad and Sue before heading home. I stopped along the way and picked up some Chinese food.

While I was preparing it, I called Angela to tell her about the fight I had with Jacob.

"Then he just got back on the roof as if nothing happened. I figured he would be a bit upset but then get over it."

"Well at least he didn't want to break up. So just do what your dad said. Give him some time and you just make sure that you're prepared for your meeting tomorrow. Have you seen or talked to Emmett since yesterday?" she asked.

"No. I thought for certain I was going to hear from him today but here it is almost 4 and not a peep. I'm guessing he's just sitting in his hotel room, going over the digital blueprint and trying to decide on the furniture."

"Well don't call him. And when you're at the meeting tomorrow, keep it professional. Get the work done as fast as possible and keep him at arm's length."

We stayed on the phone for a bit longer before Angela hung up to finish cooking her dinner before her boyfriend Ben came over.

I did as Angela suggested and prepared for the meeting. I packed up my briefcase, grabbing the digital blueprint Emmett and I worked on along with all the notes I took at the loft as well as the photos.

I had a couple of ideas about who to contact to do some of the work and some possible paint and furniture choices so I quickly jotted them down before eating my now cold shrimp lo mein.


	5. Chapter 4 - Two Can Play That Game

Chapter Four – Two Can Play That Game

"_Love is a game that two can play and both can win." – Eva Gabor_

_*Emmett*_

The next day, I took Alice's advice and informed Bella's boss that I would only work with her. At first he was a bit reluctant but he eventually caved and agreed to use this opportunity as a chance for Bella to showcase her talent as a potential project manager.

As soon as I was finished, I promptly headed into Bella's office to share the news. When I arrived, she was on the phone with her back to me. I took a seat in her chair and waited for her to finish.

"Thank you again, Mr. Brown. I'll be in touch." She said so professionally, writing down something before looking up at me.

"Oh, Mr. McCarty, you started me." she said, keeping with her professional voice.

"Since when do you wear glasses Bells?"

She looked puzzled and reached up to touch them. "I only need them for reading. I uh, I wasn't expecting you until later."

"I had something to discuss with Bryan. I told him I didn't want him working on this project anymore."

"You…fired him?"

I smiled widely. "Sort of. I told him I wanted you as the project manager and he has agreed."

"You did what?!" she shot out of her chair, shocked.

As I told her what happened, I saw that she was smiling but was trying to maintain some level of professional composure. But it wasn't long before the realization set in and she began to panic.

"I've never been lead on a project before. Are you sure that you want me to be the one designing your loft?"

"I have complete faith in you Bells. Besides if I don't like it, then I'll just sell it and move into your apartment complex." I smirked.

Bella looked uncomfortable for a bit before she snapped out of it and grabbed some folder, her rolodex and a couple of heavy paper filled binders.

"Let's head into the conference room. We have a lot of things to go over and not a lot of time."

_*Bella*_

"So can you tell me why you are so set on having the loft finished by the beginning of September?" I asked Emmett as I laid everything out before settling in.

Emmett took the seat next to me before he answered. "I got a job and it begins the day after Labor Day. I'm the new gym teacher at Forks High."

"Oh, wow. Congrats. Why didn't you tell me before?"

He shrugged and blushed slightly. I knew that he majored in physical education and got his teaching degree after blowing out his knee during his sophomore year. It was nice to know that he was finally going to be doing something with it.

"Okay, well let's get down to business. Here is the digital layout of your loft as it stands now," I told him, showing the design on my computer.

"Now, here are a couple of potential designs that we can do within the time frame that you set without having to do too much work. Just stop when you see one that you like, let me know." I told him, sorting through everything.

"What about this one. It has the garage door I want and a very open flow all over." He pointed to the last blueprint. I didn't think he would go for it since it was so plain but that did make it a bit easier to design.

"Ok, well here are some samples from the top three custom glass makers and garage door companies. And I already spoke with Peter Matheson. Now he is a bit out of your price range but he's a great contractor who is known for creating wonderful lay outs in small spaces and works well under a time crunch."

Emmett just nodded and looked over the blueprints before jotting down some notes of his own before passing them to me so I could compare them with mine. We then discussed some of the basics and placement of the loft staples such as a bathroom and a kitchen. But we kept butting heads when it came down to paint colors and furniture.

I thought it would be better if the layout was a modern look while he wanted more of a mash up between contemporaneous and eclectic. After arguing for what felt like forever, we finally came to a compromise. His loft would showcase his manly side while also giving in to a more modern look based on the natural wall placements.

We broke for lunch but met back at the office to develop a schedule and set up meetings with the contractors and everyone else before finally calling it a day.

Emmett walked me to my car, thanking me for my work.

"Well, I just want to make sure that I not only do the firm proud but prove my worth. Maybe after this my boss will finally promote me and allow me to take on more projects."

"I'm certain he will as soon as he sees the excellent job you do with my loft. And when it is over, I'll take you out to dinner to celebrate."

"I'll hold you to it, Mr. McCarty." I smiled before driving off into the night.

The next day, Emmett and I spent the entire morning meeting with everyone or having phone conferences, getting quotes and emailing and faxing photos and contracts back and forth before finally having everything ironed out. The contractor and his team met us at the loft at 11 to survey the place and give us his quote.

"If I can get this wall taken down this week and have the garage door in as soon as possible, then I can make your deadline and have it done by September 1st."

"So is it safe to call the electrician in to at least discuss the placements of the lights? I don't believe any of them will be running along that wall but we may have to lay some cord covers that may run pretty close to this section here." I asked, showing Mr. Matheson the plans.

"It shouldn't be a problem. This wall isn't fundamental to the structure so it should come down easy. We can start on it tomorrow and have the measurements ready for the garage door by Wednesday."

I thanked him and shook his hand before leaving to call the electrician and the garage company. The electrician wasn't available to come today but could be here Thursday to wire the place and hook up all the appliances.

The garage company could come out on Wednesday while Mr. Matheson was here to get the measurements and discuss the design of the door.

Once we were finished there, we headed back to the office and had a phone conference with the mason to fix some cracks in the walls and the plumber faxed and emailed us the prices of the fixtures as well as the finished design based on the description Emmett gave them.

The loft was coming together nicely and it was looking like he was going to have his bachelor pad by the time school started.

_*Emmett*_

It had been two weeks since I had visited the loft and I was anxious to see how everything was looking.

I called Bella on the way to see if she was already at the loft.

"I'm at the office, but I'll meet you there. I'm just getting some things together so we can go and look for the appliances and the furniture today."

"Okay. I'll be waiting for you then." I hung up, excited that we were rapidly approaching the end of the loft project. It was hard to woo her while being surrounded by sweaty construction guys and the headache inducing pounding sounds of the sledge hammers.

As soon as I pulled up, I saw that the garage door was being installed. It took a bit longer than we decided since I wanted the garage door to only reach half the height of the wall opening.

"Hey guys? Will this be finished today? We're supposed to be getting a bad summer storm tonight."

"Yeah. All we have to do is fit the frame into the tracks and test it. Shouldn't take us too long."

I nodded and walked through the loft. It was coming together nicely. Even though there was no furniture or appliances, I could see myself being happy here.

I walked through the downstairs, taking some measurements for the appliances. The sink was in place along with the faucet but the water had yet to be turned on. The stove was going to be inserted into the wall once the carpenters were done building the cabinets.

After checking everything all over the house, I pulled out my tablet and took photos of the empty spaces, using them to make a photographic list of everything I wanted to place in the area.

When I got upstairs, I was blown away by the design of my bathroom. Bella made sure they kept the open flow I wanted and built a stainless steel sink into a black marble counter into the wall, across from the black toilet and next to the tub which was built into a marble 2 sided boxed, and framed in glass allowing for full 180 degree of unobstructed view.

"So what do you think? I personally think the placement of the toilet is a bit incommodious but there was no other place for it without redistributing the pipes." Peter Matheson asked, announcing his presence.

"I love it. The glass, the marble, everything. It's really shaping up nicely. I especially love the way you guys incorporated the support beams into the frame downstairs."

"Yeah, that was a bit arduous but we inserted some industrial eye screws and used an extra coil of wire to hang the lights. But I believe Ms. Swan was planning on the addition of some track lighting to the kitchen area."

"It's too dark in there with only the dimmers over the dining table. I know you said you want this to be a bachelor pad but bachelors have to eat just like the rest of us." Bella smiled.

"Ms. Swan we are right on schedule. In two weeks' time, everything will be accomplished and you can move in Mr. McCarty." Masterson gave us the update, something I was all too happy to hear.

I was tiring very quickly of living out of my suitcase and eating out every night. And I was certain that Bella wouldn't appreciate if at the end of our date if I brought her back to a hotel room like a high priced "escort".

"Well we better get on the road if we are going to beat the storm. We have several different stores we need to go to if we want to have everything in place and wired up by next week." Bella stated, looking over some papers one of the workers handed her.

I nodded and thanked Masterson before following her down the stairs.

"I figured I would drive us, since I have more room in the jeep for whatever we buy today." I told her, unlocking it.

"Today is only a scouting trip. We look around and make note of everything you want and then we come back at a later time and purchase It." she explained, grabbing her portfolio and a leather bound check book.

"I'm sure that how you normally do it with some of your other clients but I'm not the type to wait. When I see something that I want, I buy it, no matter the cost."

She blushed slightly but smiled before attempting to climb into the passenger side. I offered her my hand but she brushed it off and clamored into the jeep. I shook my head and closed her door before walking over towards the driver side, sliding in with ease.

I smiled smugly over at her to which she snorted and gave me a "hmp", crossing her arms and looking straight ahead.

"Well are you going to tell me where we are headed?"

"Seattle." She replied stiffly.

"You want to drive over two hours to go furniture shopping?" I asked, incredulously.

"I told you we had a long way to go. now if you want to make it back here before the storm hits, then we better get on the road, Mr. McCarty." She warned me, sternly.

I sighed and pulled out of my future driveway before programing the address she finally gave me into the gps.

The second we pulled onto the highway I asked her something that had been bugging me since our second day on the job.

"Is there any reason why you are and have been calling me by my last name?"

"It is your name. Why should I call you anything else?"

"Bells, for as long as we have known each other, we have never been formal with each other. You've always called me either Emmett or Emmy."

"Well I just think that since you are my client I should maintain a certain level of professionalism at all times. And once this is all over we can go back to the way things were before."

"I don't care about professionalism. We were friends before I was your client. I came to you as a friend to ask you to redesign my loft. We were friends that night you invited me to After Hours and when we kissed. I don't understand why that needs to change."

She didn't answer me so I just kept quiet the rest of the way. When we arrived at the first store, I walked in and began looking for the items on my list. Bella tried to stir up some conversation by pointing out things that I might like but I kept to myself, pulling things off the shelves and placing them in the cart.

When we were finished at the first store, we drove to the next one, where I did the same thing, ignoring every suggestion she had and finding everything I wanted on my own.

By the time we were finished, we had everything I wanted for the living room, the dining room chairs and a bar cart.

"Ikea will be delivering the furniture tomorrow so we can find the rest of the items you want and the appliances after that." She explained as we neared town.

"That's fine Ms. Swan. I'll meet you at the loft at 11 am."

"Emmett, why are you acting like this?"

I looked at her plainly and stated I was doing exactly what she wanted. "Gotta maintain that level of professionalism right? After all, I'm just a client to you."

"I didn't mean it that you have to be so professional with me. It's just ever since that night when you kissed me, I haven't been exactly sure about things between us. Seeing you and that kiss brought back all those unresolved feelings that I thought I had buried long ago.

"I'm with someone and you should be dealing with your break up. After this is all over, if you want to hang out and have dinner some time, that's fine but it can't go any farther than that."

I pulled into the driveway of my future home, putting my jeep in park. I leaned over and popped open the passenger door before sliding back into my seat.

"Good night Ms. Swan."

_*Bella*_

I drove home in the rain, watching the windshield wipers fly back and forth, thinking about what I said to Emmett. I didn't want to hurt his feelings but I needed him to know how I was feeling. How he made me feel.

I just kept thinking back to our last night before he left for college. There were some many things I wanted to say to him, things I wanted him to say to me. But when the moment came, I lost my nerve and never told him how I really felt.

I pulled into my parking spot, surprised to see Emmett's monstrosity in the space next to mine. As soon as I got out, his passenger door opened and he beckoned me to get in.

"I'm sorry about the way I was acting. I shouldn't have acted like such a child."

"It's fine, Emmy. I should have told you the next day rather than ignoring you and making up the professionalism crap." I smiled at him

"I know that I was out of line for kissing you now but when it happened it was one of the best moments I had shared with you. And I hate that it was ruined by that fact that you have a boyfriend."

"Yeah but who knows for how much longer." I mumbled.

Emmett gave me a curious look but didn't say anything.

"Bells, I know that you're with someone now but can you tell me if there is any hope for me in the future?"

Feeling rather bold, I leaned in and gave him a fervent kiss, shocking him.

"If things don't work between Jake and me, you'll be the first to know." I told him, hopping down from his Jeep running through the rain into my apartment, feeling proud of myself.

**AN: So Bella is finally starting to decide what she wants out of life. I'm loving it.**


	6. Chapter 5 - Two Wrongs

**AN: Okay, I know it has been a while since I updated. It's just I'm having a real hard time writing this one. I have the arc and the end figured out but the middle is what is puzzling me. If you have any ideas please feel free to send me a PM. I can use all the help I can get. In the meantime, check out my other story "Love is Hard" a Dramione love story.**

Chapter Five – Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right

"_Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it." – Saint Augustine of Hippo_

_*Emmett*_

The day had finally arrived. After spending the better part of a month in a hotel room, eating out every single night and living out of my suitcase, my new bachelor pad was finally finished. Things were coming together for me in the best way. Bella and I were back on good terms and in a week's time I would be starting my new job at my old high school.

"Are you ready to see what all your money paid for?" She asked me as we approached the loft.

"I'm just happy I'll be getting out that hotel room. It loses its luster after the first week."

Bella gave me a smile before unlocking the door to my bachelor pad. Everything that we bought over the past couples weeks and all the appliances were hooked up and in their proper places.

Even though I was here for the entire process, seeing it halfway fixed and completely finished was two different things. I had an image of how it was going to look based on the blueprints and everything we discussed with the contractors and other works, the finished project surpassed it by a mile.

I walked through the entire place making sure everything was to my liking. Bella followed closely behind me, awaiting my approval with bated breath.

"I love it Bells. You can stop worrying." I chuckled at the look of worry on her face. Her boss had mentioned his plan to open up another office in Seattle and would be looking closely at certain people to bring with him and promote the people underneath them so she needed the loft to be perfect if she was going to be considered for a promotion.

"Okay." She let out her breath and pretended to wipe some sweat away from her brow.

"So is all your stuff in storage? Do I need to make arrangements for movers to bring it here?"

I shook my head and explained everything I brought with me could fit into my Jeep. When she asked me how that was possible, I explained that I gave everything expect my clothes and some personal mementos to Rosalie when we broke up. I didn't want any of the things we bought together or for our apartment to carry over into my new life.

"What happened there, between you and Rose? I mean I know you said she cheated on you but it seems like you guys were breaking up for a while from the way you talk."

I took a seat on my couch and thought back to when I knew that things between me and Rose were heading for the end.

"At first it was just little things. Us arguing over stupid stuff, threatening to leave. But by the time morning came around, everything was forgotten and all was forgiven. Then she got a job as a Legal Graduate Intern while she was starting law school, at this local real estate law firm. At first it was okay and she was really happy with it. She would come home and tell me about all the stuff she was learning and how the things she was learning at the office helped her score points with her professors.

"Then she started spending all this time talking about some young lawyer she was working with at the office. Rose would find ways to bring his name up in our conversations. It wasn't long before she was calling to say she had to work late or she was spending the evening with her friends studying in the library.

"I didn't think anything was wrong until her friends call looking for her and then the weird late night phone calls."

"What do you mean weird phone calls?" Bella asked before she took the seat next to me.

"The phone would ring at like 2, 3 o'clock in the morning. As soon as I would answer it, the person would hang up. Then they would call again and the same thing would happen. Then her cell phone would ring and she would take one look at it before running out the room.

"One night I followed her, thinking she was just in the bathroom or the closet. No, she was outside in the freezing cold in her thin nightgown chatting away. So finally I got tired of it and followed her one night after her cell phone rang during dinner. It wasn't long before I realized she was driving to her office. I sat in that parking lot for the longest time trying to come up with a rational reason for her to be going to her office so late at night in nothing but a trench coat and spiky heels.

"It pained me to do it but I needed to confirm what I thought was true. Once I did, I left and went home to wait for her. When she returned, I confronted her. She didn't deny it but told me it was over. That she loved me and she felt so stupid for risking our relationship for something that wouldn't last. She even promised to try to find another job.

"And let me guess, she "tried" but didn't have any luck so she had to stay there and eventually started sleeping with him again?" Bella supplied.

I chuckled. "Actually, she did find another job. The next day she got assigned to work with some female lawyer on a high profile case. I did think it was a bit suspicious until I saw the case on the news. Apparently some chemical company had purposely dumped their waste near an up and coming development and the few residents that were there complained about weird smells coming out of the sewers. A couple of people got sick so they decided to sue.

So we were fine again until I came to the office one night to bring her some food and caught her with the lawyer again."

I neglected to tell Bella what happened after that. I wasn't exactly proud of it myself. So I just skipped ahead to the next day.

"I packed up my stuff while she was at school and left. I didn't even leave her a note, I just left and went to my parents' place and told them the whole sordid tale. I stayed there for a few weeks getting over it and making my plans to move here. I found out about the job on the school website and then began looking for a place to live. Alice helped me and told me to contact your company to do the work when I found this place. At first I didn't want to leave. I was beginning to understand why they moved to Canada once everyone was in school. But Alice convinced me that this would be my best chance to start over. And then I thought about you." I grinned.

Bella smiled at me before getting up to get the deed to the property. After I signed all the proper papers and the deed was stamped, I could finally say that I owned my place.

"Well, I guess that's it. Thank you for your business Mr. McCarty." Bella said, sticking out her hand.

""Thank you for an amazing job well done, Ms. Swan. And good luck with your future projects. If you need to, feel free to use me as a reference." I replied, shaking her hand to signal the end of our professional relationship.

Now that she was no longer my interior designer, I could finally take out on a date that didn't involve discussing paint samples and curtain rods.

"So what are you doing later today?"

"Meeting my friend Angela for our weekly workout and lunch then heading home to clean and do some laundry." She said, while packing up everything.

"Care to join me for dinner tomorrow night to celebrate?"

"Celebrate what?"

"Everything. Your possible promotion, my new loft and job. Us being friends, I don't know." I chuckled.

Bella shook her head but agreed to the date.

"I call you later on today with the details." I called out as she walked out the door.

_*Bella*_

As I was leaving Emmett's loft, I called Angela to inform her I was on my way. I had already called her this morning to let her know we needed to push back our work out since I had to drop everything off. She was a bit upset I was interrupting our routine but understood it was for an important reason.

When I pulled up in front of the gym, Ang was waiting for like usual.

"So I saw that the loft came out looking nice." She winked at me.

"How did you find out? Emmett and I are the only people who know the security code to get inside."

"Your boss hired me and another photographer to photograph it for their website. I guess someone over there is really proud of your work."

I blushed. I hated being the center of attention. "Yes, it was my project but I didn't really do much other than direct everyone else around. And most of the furniture items Emmett picked out himself."

"Bells, it's okay to feel proud. You may not have laid the bricks but you had a big part in bring it all together. Just think that that building was an old lumber mill just a month ago. You did well!"

I beamed at the flattery Angela was laying on me while setting the stationary bike to my liking.

"So have you heard from Jake since you told him about the kiss?"

I shook my head and realized just how long it had been since he and I spoke. I didn't think it would take him three weeks to get over one kiss.

"I know he's been at my dad's but he purposely asked him not to tell me. I only found out when my dad let it slip during my last visit there."

"Maybe he's waiting for you to make the first move. Do you think you should reach out to him? Unless you're more interested in a certain Mr. Cullen."

I wanted to tell her she couldn't be farther from the truth but I had to face the music. My boyfriend and I hadn't talked in over three weeks and I hadn't even noticed. I could say it was because I was so wrapped up in my work which was true but deep down; I knew that that was only a small part of it. I was falling for Emmett's charm again. Just like I did the night when Edward brought me home to meet his family.

"I'll take your silence and the look on your face as a yes." She chortled.

I shook my head clear of my thoughts and put all my focus into my work out, not wanting to face the truth.

After lunch with Angela, I headed home, my mind still laden with our discussion from the gym.

I knew that I loved Jacob but a part of me couldn't help but to wonder if it was out of convenience. Edward and I broke up the night before I started college and Jake and I started dating just a week later. I could have taken my time and dated a few guys before choosing to date one exclusively. But I didn't, I chose the one who already had strong feelings of love for me. And it was simply by accident. I had only come home to get my truck checked out and asked him out. Did I choose him because it was easy or because I truly liked my childhood friend?

I fell back on my bed as the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I was a coward and chose him not because I felt something for him but because I was alone and couldn't be with the one I truly wanted.


	7. Chapter 6 - Facing the Music

Chapter Six – Facing the Music

"_A real leader faces the music, even when he doesn't like the tune"– Anonymous_

_*Bella*_

I called Jake's cell phone and his house phone, hoping to catch him on either. Not that I knew that what we had wasn't fair to either of us, I needed to end it as soon as possible. Both times I got his voicemail so I left him a message instructing him to call me when he had a free moment.

I hung up and stripped off everything before getting into the shower. I turned the hot water a bit higher than normal, wanting the steam to cloud my vision and my thoughts. I knew that I was attracted to Emmett and had told him in the past that we couldn't do anything since I was with Jake.

But now that that was over, I could feel my desire to quickly jump into something with Emmett.

I tried to be rational about it by arguing that I've always been in love with him and now that I finally could be with him, why not jump at the chance.

"Because you need to learn how to be single first and deal with the fall out before you go to someone else." I told myself, leaning against the shower wall.

I knew that it was going to hard but all Emmett and I could be right now were close friends. But as soon as I said it, I knew I wouldn't be able to stick with it.

The sound of my cell phone ringing jarred me out of my thoughts; I turned off the water and ran into my bedroom, slipping on the bathroom rug as I did.

"Jacob?"

"Uh, no its …it's Emmett." He replied dismally.

I silently cursed and explained that I was waiting on a call from him.

"Yeah, I kinda, kinda got that when you answered your phone with Jacob. Were you expecting him to come over or something?"

"Oh no, nothing like that. I just needed to talk to him about our relationship since it's been a while since I've heard from him."

Emmett's mood instantly perked up. "Oh really, can I know what the talk was going to entail or is it a private matter."

I laughed and told him that I felt like Jacob and I were on the fast track to nowhere and that it would be better to end it now before someone got hurt.

"Un huh, and this wouldn't have anything to do with your feelings for me? I mean I have a reputation to uphold in this town. I can't be known as a home-wrecker now!" He joked.

I laughed and sat down on my bed to dry off and put on some lotion, listening to him make more jokes before informing me of the reason why he was calling.

"Have you heard of Sage and Thyme? It's a little restaurant near pier. They have this beautiful outdoor deck with those twinkle lights and I've heard the food is really good there."

I knew of the place that he was talking about but had yet to go as it marketed itself as the "perfect place for a romantic dinner."

"Okay. I made reservations for 8 so I'll see you then." He said before hanging up.

I put my phone on the charger, wondering why he didn't offer to pick me up before deciding it wasn't important. I jumped off my bed in a hurry and ran over to my closet to find something to wear. After passing over every dress that I felt was just so ordinary and plain, I got dressed and called up Angela to see if she was up for a trip to the mall.

"Sure. Give me 30 minutes to wrap up here."

I dressed in a pair of jeans and a graphic shirt, surprised the weather had been warm lately. Normally the weather for this time of month ranged from 64 to 70 but for the past couple of weeks, the temperature was reaching the mid 80's.

The weathermen kept saying this was a sign of a rain-laden fall and brutal winter and advised everyone to enjoy the warm weather while we would have it.

Pulling on my sneakers, my phone began buzzing. I quickly scanned the text from Ang before packing my purse and heading downstairs.

"So what exactly are you looking for?" Angela asked, sorting through the rack of high-waisted skirts.

"A dress that will look nice enough for dinner on the pier with Emmett. He's taking me to Sage and Thyme."

"Wow. So does that mean you and Jake are no more?" she stared me down over the frames of her glasses.

I feigned deaf and headed to the next rack, quickly pulling out a potential dress choice.

"Really Bella, really? How long has been since you and he talked."

"I called him today and told him that I needed to speak with him. It's not my fault he didn't pick up."

"Oh and that's the perfect excuse. In the past when you needed to talk with him, you hunted him down until you found him. Now because you have to talk about something uncomfortable, you're willing to let him contact you whenever he has a free moment."

"I just want to enjoy this. I finally have a shot at being with the guy that I have loved since high school and I will not let Jake or you ruin this for me Ang. And I'm not the only guilty party here. It's been three weeks since he's contacted me as well. I've been busy with the loft and stressing over the potential promotion that could be coming my way. He could have called but he didn't. So as far as I'm concerned, we're over."

Angela looked shocked as I never really argued with her when she was being the voice of reason.

"Look Ang, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell but I'm so tired of always doing the right thing and putting what I want on hold because everyone else won't like it. I promise I will talk with Jacob before Emmett and I start dating. But for right now, can you please be my non-judgy friend and help me find something to wear that will make me look amazing for dinner tomorrow?"

Angela crossed her arms and looked everywhere but at me, desperately trying to avoid the puppy dog pout I was giving her.

"Fine but you better let him down gently."

I promised her I would but wondered why Ang was so concerned with it. I was just getting ready to ask her about it when I saw an old friend walking into the women's section.

"Leah Clearwater, is that you?" I squealed at the black haired beauty.

She looked in all directions before finally spotting me.

"Bella Swan! What are you doing here?" she asked, engulfing me in a hug.

"Shopping for a date tomorrow night. Why are you here? I thought Sue said you were in San Francisco for Grad School."

"I was, well am. I just came back to grab some things from the old house before Mom puts it on the market. I guess she's moving in with your dad."

"Wow, nobody tells me anything." I chuckled as we were joined by Angela and a caramel skinned woman. Angela introduced herself and Leah introduced me to the love of her life.

"This is Kylie. She's lived in San Fran her entire life so we decided to spend a couple of weeks with Mom before heading back." She smiled before placing a sweet kiss on her cheek.

"Nice to meet you Kylie. How do you like our boring town?"

"It's…cozy, I guess it the nice way to put It." she laughed.

I laughed right along with her. People didn't take trips to grand state of Washington and visit the small town of Forks and La Push.

"But she was a big hit on the rez. Quil and Embry cracked every single lesbian joke you could imagine and more. Speaking of, Jake told me you guys were dating but are on the rocks right now."

"That's a bit of a long story. Why don't we grab some lunch once I'm done here and I'll tell you all about it. And you can tell me about your life."

'Sure. We've got a couple of hours to kill before we're meeting mom and Charlie for dinner." Leah said, before suggesting a restaurant in the mall to meet at.

"See, in Jake's eyes you and him are still together." Angela couldn't resist pointing out the comment Leah said about Jake and mine's relationship.

"Well we aren't in mine." I snapped before heading to the dressing room to try on my picks.

The first two were cute but the first one looked better on the hanger than it did on me and the second one was too summer dressy for dinner at Sage and Thyme.

I was pulling the last one off the hanger, a strappy pale pink baby doll cocktail number when I heard a knock on the door.

I cracked it just enough for Angela to pass through her choice. The moment I saw it, I knew it was the dress.

It was a deep purple, one shoulder asymmetrical empire dress. The strap was made of small silver hoops and the skirt was pleated.

"So what do you think?" I asked Angela, turning in the three way mirror, looking at the dress from every angle.

"I think Emmett will love It." she smirked.

I took one last look before heading back into the dressing room as my phone rang shrilly. Without even looking at the screen, I answered it, believing it to be Emmett.

"Hey I was just talking about you. I found the perfect dress for our date tomorrow."

"Are we going out tomorrow? Because from the sound of your messages I wouldn't have thought such." Jake's cool voice came through.

I was really going to have to learn how to check the screen before answering a call.

"Jacob, hey. No I thought you were someone else."

"Obviously. Let me guess, it was one of the guys you've been kissing. Or is this someone completely new."

"It was only one guy. But it's nice to see you're still not over that. It's been over three weeks now and I told you it was a one-time thing."

"Just answer me this. The perfect dress that you're buying for your date tomorrow, it is with the guy you kissed."

"Yes. To celebrate the end of the loft job."

Jake sighed and I could picture him running his hand through his hair trying to figure out what to say next. "Is that all it is? Or is it something more."

"Jake, why do you ask questions you already know the answers to."

"Is that why you finally called me. To tell me that you liked this guy and you wanted to break up so you can go on the date with him and not feel guilty?"

I paused and slid down onto the floor. This was not how I wanted this discussion to go. It felt so one sided and impersonal. I wanted to explain to him how I'd been feeling and that Emmett was the one I loved way back in high school.

"I'll take your silence as a yes. Look I won't hold you up any longer. Just…I love you Izzy. And I'm here."

I murmured the same before hanging up, feeling guilty about wanting to go after the desires of my heart.


	8. Chapter 7 - Date Night and a Fight

Chapter Seven – Date Night and a Fight

"_It is the woman who chooses the man who will choose her"– Anonymous_

_*Bella*_

After purchasing my dress and a new pair of heels, Angela and I headed to the food court to meet Leah and Kylie for lunch.

During it, I learned that after Leah moved to college and a whole new world opened up to her.

"We met at a festival. I was there with my roommate and Kylie just happened to be her best friend. When we met there was a bit of a spark. A few weeks later Kylie came to campus to visit and I invited her to join me for a walk.

"Leah was so sweet. She showed me all of her favorite places and haunts before taking me to the basement bar for a drink. We stayed there for hours, just laughing and dancing to the jukebox. After that, I knew that I wanted to at least see if I could be with her. I remember her being so enchanting and sweet. I couldn't believe it when she told me she used to have a temper."

"Oh yes, there are quite a few stories that I could tell you about Leah's infamous rage but I won't embarrass her like that." I chuckled, nodding in her direction.

"So what exactly is going on with you and Jake? I was surprised when Mom told me you and he were dating and now you say you're on the rocks. What exactly went wrong?" Leah asked, her laughter subsiding.

"We…were together for the wrong reasons to begin with and now…now things are complicated." I explained, casting my eyes downward

"Love is complicated. It has to be or it wouldn't be worth the ride. But love for the wrong reasons is still wrong. Too often we fall or rather choose the love that is easy over what we really want. If Jake isn't what you want then don't give him false hope." Kylie stated.

Angela and I shared a curious glance at her revelation before Leah explained.

"She's a psych major. She had me figured out after our third date."

When I got home, I headed upstairs to hang up my dress and checked my messages. Kylie's assessment of love was an interesting one. But she was right. Love was rarely black and white. The good girl always fell for the bad boy. The Right man would stand by the Wrong woman. It was our nature and there was nothing we could do to change that.

After the messages from my Dad and a reminder call from my apartment manager about some routine maintenance, the machine clicked off just as my cell phone buzzed.

I clicked the button, illuminating the screen to read the text.

_If we are going to do this then I want to do it right. I'll pick you up at your place at 7._

I texted him back and laid down to a take a nap before my date.

_*Emmett*_

I pulled in front of Bella's apartment 10 minutes till. Feeling excited and nervous, I checked my breath at least three times before getting out of the car.

Bouquet in hand, I climbed the steps and rang her bell, not expecting her to be ready. But when she opened the door, she looked like a bombshell.

"Wow Bells, you look amazing." I told her, kissing her on her cheek before handing her the bouquet of flowers.

"Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself." She winked.

I came in and closed her door while she headed into the kitchen to put the flowers in water.

"I'm almost done getting ready. I just have to pack my purse." I heard her call out.

I was used to being made to wait by Rose so I got comfortable on the sofa before noticing all the photos of her boyfriend had been taken down. I smirked, happy that I no longer had competition for her heart.

A few seconds later Bella returned from the dining room ready for our date.

"So you're telling me that you took part in The Naked Mile all four years?" I laughed before drinking some more of wine. Bella was telling me about her college days and all the crazy things she did.

"Well not exactly. The first year I was merely a spectator but I did run the next three. It was liberating but I was still a chicken so I wore contacts and a wig but I did it. I'm sure you have had some crazy times."

"Yeah but they were normal guy things like throwing keggers and passing out on the front lawn or being duct taped to the founders statute. It's not like I ran through the campus in the nude. I don't know if I could have done it."

Bella laughed and teased me for being a wimp just as the waiter came over with a dessert menu.

"We'll have the chocolate lava cake with a side of vanilla ice cream."

"Really, I can't get my own dessert? Don't cheap out on me now." She joked while the waiter cleared the table.

"I just thought it would be a bit romantic to share dessert before taking a walk on the beach."

"I hope you aren't doing all this in the hopes of getting some on the first date, Emmett. I may have ran through the campus au naturel but I am a firm believer in the three date rule."

"Well I guess I better cancel the string quartet I hired to serenade us and the caricature artists. Since I won't be getting any tonight." I played along.

Bella laughed a bit harder and commented on how easy things were between us. I knew exactly what she meant. We've always been those people that never really needed words to communicate. She got me and I got her. At the end of the day, there was nothing more than a guy could ask for.

_*Bella*_

After dessert and the quiet walk on the beach, Emmett drove me back to my place. We reminisced on our high school days and our classmates and where they were now.

"Tonight was amazing. Thank you." I opened my apartment door and stood there to see if Emmett was going to make a move.

Emmett nodded and fumbled with his keys nervously before giving me a shy look. I knew that was his signature look before he moved in to kiss so I closed my eyes and waited for him to come the rest of the way.

But he never did. After keeping my eyes closed for a couple of seconds, I opened them to see Emmett fighting two of Jacob's friends in the parking lot.

"Paul! Quil! What are you guys doing?" I shouted running towards them. Emmett appeared to be putting up a good fight but Paul was vicious and I knew he could seriously injure him.

But before I could reach them, I snatched up by the waist and carried back to my apartment. When the mystery person placed me on my feet, I slapped them in the chest and the face.

"Jacob! Just what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm teaching him a lesson. He needs to stay away from you."

"Jake, I know that you aren't happy about our breakup but there's no reason for you to blame it on Emmett. He didn't do anything wrong."

"Well let's look at the facts. Before he came back into your life, you were happy with me-"

"That's just the thing, Jake. I wasn't happy. I thought I was but in reality I was using you as a rebound and it just went for too long."

"You're asking me to be at peace with all this and I can't. We've been together for too long for me to just let you go without a fight."

I didn't want it to be like this but it is. I still care for you but…"

"But you don't love me. You love him." he jerked over his shoulder with his thumb.

"I do."

Jacob scrunched up his face before calling his boys off of Emmett. I rushed over to his side and helped him to his feet while Jacob and his boys climbed back into the truck they drove and sped off in the night.

Emmett leaned on me as I guided him up the steps and into the bathroom. Depositing him on the toilet, I grabbed the first aid kit from under the sink and cleaned the cuts and scrapes all over his face.

"I am so sorry Emmett. I didn't think that Jake was going to call his friends and have them beat you up."

"Hey, I got a few good hits in there. But I don't care about that." He winced a bit as I dabbed at the cut near his eye.

"What do you care about?"

"About the fact you said you love me."


	9. Chapter 8: Where to Go From Here

_Chapter 8 – Where to Go From Here_

"_I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you" – Roy Croft_

"I thought you would be too busy trying to win that fight to pay attention to what I was saying." I said bashfully.

"You don't have to be afraid to say that you love me Bells. I've known that I loved you since I left high school. I always wanted to tell you but I didn't know how you were going to take it and then you were still with Edward and I didn't want to cause problems."

I didn't say anything else as I finished cleaning his face. He has a black eye and few cuts but overall, he was fine.

I sent him downstairs for the ice pack to put on his eye while I took a quick shower. I wanted to wash the last remaining scent and touch of Jacob from my body.

When I finished, I got out of the shower and cleaned my face before applying my night cream. I heard a slight noise outside of the door.

"I was thinking I better get going. It's getting a bit late." Emmett called out.

I opened the door and asked if he would like to spend the night.

"I mean, Jake and his friends could still be waiting for you. They could be parked up the road waiting to follow you."

Emmett smirked. "I guess you're right. I do have to watch out for my safety and all."

He then finally caught sight of me in my robe and blushed furiously before looking everywhere but at me.

I finished up in the bathroom and slid past him into my bedroom, purposefully leaving my door open. When he didn't get the hint, I said, "You don't have to be nervous around me Emmy. You can come in here while I'm changing."

He finally looked at me and gave me a small chuckle.

"I just don't want to overstep my boundaries here. After all we just did have our first official date." He pointed out.

I let out a sigh. If we were going to do this, I didn't need to be in my bathrobe and we most certainly didn't need to be in the bedroom.

"Yeah, but you and I have been wanting each other for a while now. Isn't this what you wanted?" I asked while walking towards my closet.

When I finished, I walked out and pulled him to his feet. My small hand looked so weird joined with his but it felt right still.

He turned me around and looked right at me. "You have no idea how long I've want this. I'm just too afraid of doing something to mess it up or you're going to change your mind. I haven't exactly had the best of luck with women."

He had a point. We were trying to take things slow but we couldn't lie and say that our feelings for each other surpassed the current stage of relationship. But why should I keep thinking that the worst is going to happen with Emmett and me. I spent my entire collegiate career recreating myself and on my fresh start which didn't include overthinking the decisions of my personal life like I use to do.

"You're right. But would rather spend an eternity doubting yourself or would you rather live in the now and just relax, let things progress on their own?" I smiled.

Emmett thought about what I said and agreed I was right, happiness was written all over his face.

_*Emmett*_

And after spending so many years just going through the motions and sort of existing when it came to my relationships, I was finally with a woman who could make my heart skip a beat. I knew it wasn't possible but it was how I felt. When I was with Bella I felt more alive than I ever have. She brought out my emotional side, something I thought I suppressed a long time ago.

These thoughts stayed with me the entire night and all through the morning until Bella's insanely shrill alarm broke the silence.

She rolled over and slammed her hand down on it, shutting it off. She let out a groan and stretched before rolling back over to face me.

"Now this is a sight I could get used to." I smirked.

"Why are you so cheerful? How long have you been up?"

"Since 5. I was going to wake up but I decided against it so I grabbed my gym clothes from the Jeep and went for a run. I've never really needed a lot of sleep."

"Yeah, well unlike you I need at least 9-10 hours of sleep. If not then I can't function." She moaned before throwing back the covers to get out of the bed.

"So what are your plans for today?" I asked when she finally woke up.

"I usually spend my Sundays lounging around the house." She stretched and padded her way to the bathroom saying something about wanting clean herself up.

I headed downstairs and plopped down on the couch. It groaned a little under my weight while I got comfortable. I grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels before settling on ESPN.

Not long after the sports anchor finished his report on the NFL training camps, I heard the shower turn off. I shut the TV off and headed back upstairs just as Bella was heading into her bedroom. I thought about turning around and heading back downstairs but changed my mind. If I was going to be in a relationship with Bella, then I would have to get used to being with her during the most private moments.

"You know you don't have to be a perfect gentleman." She told me once I entered.

"I know. I'm still trying to get use to all this." I smiled sheepishly as she dropped her towel. My eyes raked over her small frame, stopping when I spied a tattoo of a bird, red and orange in color, rising out of a fire below on her shoulder.

"When did you get this?" I asked moving closer to run my hand over it.

"The summer before my freshman year of college. Angela and I spent a couple weeks in Jacksonville with Renee and Phil. I was finally feeling like things were getting back to normal. That I was finally done healing and I was ready to really live. To be reborn. So I got it to signify that moment."

I stared at it a bit longer, enjoying the woman before me. To me it showed her strength, the struggle she went through to get here. I leaned down and placed a trail of small kisses along her shoulder and collar bone. She tilted her head to the side and let a small moan escape her lips. I snaked my left arm around her waist, pulling her closer to me. I let my nose run along her neck, inhaling her intoxicating scent. I was slowly losing it but I didn't want to stop. I love the feeling of her damp, clammy skin under my own warm hands.

All of a sudden Bella turned around and grabbed my right hand, bringing it up to rest over her heart. It appeared to be beating at a fast and slow pace.

"You're the only guy who's made my heart react this way."

_*Bella*_

I looked up into Emmett's face to see his reaction. It was full of love and admiration for me.

"Bella, I know without a doubt my heart beats for you and you alone." he whispered.

I smiled and kissed him once more, this time with conviction. It wasn't heated or passionate but it said everything we were afraid to say at this moment in our relationship.

He broke off the kiss first but didn't let go right away. He just stood there, holding me in his arms.

After a bit, I began filling a bit cold. Emmett must have noticing me shivering and let me go, smiling that signature grin of his as he did.

"I'll uh I'll let you get dressed." He sat on the edge of the bed and put his hands over his eyes so he couldn't see anything. I slapped him playfully on the arm and headed into my closet to find something to wear.

I slipped on a pair of lounge pants and a simple t-shirt that was a bit faded from years of wear.

After cancelling any plans he may have had, Emmett and I settled in and spent the entire Sunday cuddling and canoodling on the couch, enjoying the beginning honeymoon stage of our relationship.


	10. Note

Hey everyone sorry this isn't an update. I've been battling a serious case of writers block with this story and now I'm trying to get over the flu. If any of you have any ideas how to continue it from here, send me a message. Maybe it'll get the creative juices flowing.


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